1. Roosters. They are a great side. Like them or not, they know how to win. The World Club Challenge is tough to win. Tedesco...Manu, Keary (what a great move to leave Souths post premiership and win two more - on the road to greatness with three premierships under his belt!), Cordner, Friend, Crichton. Their centres are cursed for injury, but they are winners through and through. They also have the great Takiaoukou kicking for goals as a forward. Rare, but poetry!
The NRL and AFL seasons can't come soon enough. The tattoo artists have no ink left.
2. T20 Cricket. Refreshing to hear Ashton Agar pay tribute to Jadeja in the Indian team as an all round star. Too often Australian cricketers do not publicly pay much respect to some of the Indian superstars. This will get him places in world cricket - especially after a hat trick (Finch took a screamer!). How good is Steve Smith? He always recognises the need to rise under adversity.
Not sure why Australia fall for the old classic T20 stuff up all the time and play five batsmen as they did overnight. Who did they bring in to fail? Mitchell Marsh of course.
3. Last Round of Sheffield Shield. Plenty of interest in whether NSW can claw back a victory to take them into the the Shield final. Hopefully a few get some runs. It has been a dry summer for most. An odd summer too. Cricket has under estimated the Australian public and chased the dollars. There are games left in Australia yet and rugby league is fast approaching... interesting times.
4. Rugby Union. Finally a win against NZ by the perennial over achievers for us, the Brumbies. The Reds cashed in and mercifully the Waratahs had a week off. Can this happen most weeks?
5. Indigenous v Maori XIII Game. Lots of passion. Surely there is room soon enough for the re-branding of State of Origin and allowing it to be more diverse. World XIII v QLD? v NSW?
6. Nines - Salary Cap. Must agree with monies being added to a team's salary cap for winning the Nines. It may get a team an extra player or top up a dynamic youngster. This will be of appeal to the clubs and see the end of silly nonsense like Andrew Ryan or ex AFL players having a run.
7. Women's Cricket World Cup. Whenever Australia start losing these games, the whole thing becomes unpopular. India too strong in the first game. They will need to bounce back or perish!
8. EPL. The teams are scratching for off cuts now. Liverpool home and Jose at Spurs may be heading home too. He has not delivered with Harry Kane on the injured list.
9. Car Racing. Holden dead and buried. Of course they are with the money wasted on touring cars over so many years. Have Kia and The Wall produced a racing car yet? No...too busy making coin.
10. Ron 'Rambo' Gibbs. Tough as teak ex Manly and Roosters, but at what cost? A sad story of decline through brain injuries. This could be the big story of rugby league in the next ten years.
Monday, February 24, 2020
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Wrap - Pointless Revenge
1. The Perth NRL Nines. Two men and a dog turn up to a carnival where some treat it like life and death and others treat it like snakes and ladders. Why do we have the Nines? Nick Davis - how did he go? The eventual premiers - North QLD...let's see what this looks like in October. Always love a 'next best thing' story around the Nines (Bevan French was one such guy). No one remembers pre-season winners. Bring back the Craven-Mild Cup - or the Amco Cup mid week instead.
How about St George... they lose Sims, McInness and Dufty in one weekend? This is the injury scourge they usually get in June each year.
2. Shield - Tasmania. For a state who have talented cricketers, to be bowled out for 78 was a complete disgrace v Queensland. The pitch was challenging and the duke ball was hooping. Jordan Silk as skipper got a pair. Hard to believe. Neser looked unplayable, but talk about a team who were panicking!
3. Shield - NSW. The resting of Cummins, Hazelwood and Starc from the NSW team and T20 is hurting their Shield campaign. Lots of blokes who get 30 and 40 can work, but not often. Nic 'Ears' Maddinson seems to be the best we have in the country at present. Matt Renshaw is a good example of blokes who fall apart in the longer form of the game when runs dry up.
I noticed Kurtis Patterson is back for NSW. A long time away.
4. Australian Super Rugby. Sealing support in club rugby sounds smart, but the code is under attack. Meanwhile we go 0-6 in our combined efforts against tougher off shore opponents. The Waratahs are sitting 0-3 and more punishment lies ahead.
5. Hugh Bowman. What a cracking jockey. Rode three straight winners in the big races on Saturday - Matowi, Flit, Alizee. He knows how to win.
6. EPL - Liverpool. Liverpool are so far ahead they may break the EPL record for most points and earliest declared premiership. They are not losing from here, despite Leicester doing good business. Now Man City have been banished from UEFA's Champions League and their players will start to leave too. The juggernaut of Liverpool may well roll on under the Klopster!
7. Folau. Hopefully he shuts up and leaves social media alone and just plays league. Immense talent, but will struggle to ever be fully accepted.
8. MLB Astros. Interesting to see the player revenge angle here. Talk of pitchers deliberately pinging their opponents in the ribs as a reminder for their cheating. They will be the most hated franchise in history and a lot of the teams will not hold back. Ironically, they could get banned longer than those involved in this initial outrageous sign stealing scam!
How about St George... they lose Sims, McInness and Dufty in one weekend? This is the injury scourge they usually get in June each year.
2. Shield - Tasmania. For a state who have talented cricketers, to be bowled out for 78 was a complete disgrace v Queensland. The pitch was challenging and the duke ball was hooping. Jordan Silk as skipper got a pair. Hard to believe. Neser looked unplayable, but talk about a team who were panicking!
3. Shield - NSW. The resting of Cummins, Hazelwood and Starc from the NSW team and T20 is hurting their Shield campaign. Lots of blokes who get 30 and 40 can work, but not often. Nic 'Ears' Maddinson seems to be the best we have in the country at present. Matt Renshaw is a good example of blokes who fall apart in the longer form of the game when runs dry up.
I noticed Kurtis Patterson is back for NSW. A long time away.
4. Australian Super Rugby. Sealing support in club rugby sounds smart, but the code is under attack. Meanwhile we go 0-6 in our combined efforts against tougher off shore opponents. The Waratahs are sitting 0-3 and more punishment lies ahead.
5. Hugh Bowman. What a cracking jockey. Rode three straight winners in the big races on Saturday - Matowi, Flit, Alizee. He knows how to win.
6. EPL - Liverpool. Liverpool are so far ahead they may break the EPL record for most points and earliest declared premiership. They are not losing from here, despite Leicester doing good business. Now Man City have been banished from UEFA's Champions League and their players will start to leave too. The juggernaut of Liverpool may well roll on under the Klopster!
7. Folau. Hopefully he shuts up and leaves social media alone and just plays league. Immense talent, but will struggle to ever be fully accepted.
8. MLB Astros. Interesting to see the player revenge angle here. Talk of pitchers deliberately pinging their opponents in the ribs as a reminder for their cheating. They will be the most hated franchise in history and a lot of the teams will not hold back. Ironically, they could get banned longer than those involved in this initial outrageous sign stealing scam!
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Wrap - Don't The Fans Love It
1. BBL. Stunning that they played at all after so much rain. Steve Smith is a dangerous player in all forms. Josh Phillippe will give Wade and Carey a run for their money. Warnie is clearly the best commentator in the business. The Stars salary cap is something else - Stoinis, Handscomb, Maxwell, Zampa, Coulter-Nile... and the Sixers is rubbery too - Smith, Starc, Hazelwood, Henriques, Abbott, Lyon... How do they do it?
A cracking crowd catch in front of the Ladies Stand was a highlight. Great win by the Sixers. They were the best fielding team in the comp and deserved to win. Silk is very valuable in that team. If they had kept the Pommie, Tom Curran, they could have belted everyone even more. Keeper -batsmen are gold in this T20 world.
Moises Henriques is a wonderful skipper. His knowledge of the game is exceptional. Really impressive and a possible future there at the highest level in some form of the game.
2. AB Medal. Warner seems a special. Maybe Cummins or Starc? A completely flawed concept these days and the preserve only a few national players who play all forms can reach. Smith an outsider.
3. Bushfire Appeal Game. A shame Warnie wasn't playing. No one had a spare plane, but there is great danger in these for world stars (Payne Stewart, Kobe Bryant...John Denver, Richie Valens!). Love the banter he brings... and his talent is missed. Some blokes never lose it. The stars of the show? Walsh can still move it. Akram looked strong too. Hayden was looking like he's been in the cookbook too much. Ponting still has it! Lara could still play for the Windies too. He hits the ball so sweetly.
4. Australian U/19 Cricket Team. Sixth place. Can't believe how low this is really. We are not dominating as we once did. India should hold every trophy and every place on the rostrum in world cricket. Their population says this is so. Good to see Bangladesh in the final. India to win however.
5. Rugby Union. How long does Raelene Castle have left? The TV rights is potentially a complete disaster for the game all the way down to park rugby. It is not her fault alone, but they have been uninspiring with the game in their control. The product is on the nose and will return to ABC on Saturday afternoons I suspect.
6. Waratahs. The crowd on Saturday was outrageously low. Rugby is on its knees. Back to the future. 32-12 loss...spoon time!?
7. Sydney Kings. First team to lead the NBL from start to finish. Impressive season...semis will be tough however!
8. NRL Integrity Commission. Busy times in summer for the commission. Josh Reynolds' case sounds intriguing. Curtis Scott, Siva, May, de Belin...complexity and all a shocking look for the game. Yet David Fifita and big Nelson from the Storm - squeaky clean those blokes!? That is an entirely inconsistent joke.
9. Jason Day. Could finally break his two year duck in Pebble Beach...!
10. Horse racing. Hanseatic, Colette, Microphone, Alabama Express and Sylvia's mother were stunning at Caulfield on Saturday. Really like this Master Jamie and Ambidazzle too. Mark them down.
A cracking crowd catch in front of the Ladies Stand was a highlight. Great win by the Sixers. They were the best fielding team in the comp and deserved to win. Silk is very valuable in that team. If they had kept the Pommie, Tom Curran, they could have belted everyone even more. Keeper -batsmen are gold in this T20 world.
Moises Henriques is a wonderful skipper. His knowledge of the game is exceptional. Really impressive and a possible future there at the highest level in some form of the game.
2. AB Medal. Warner seems a special. Maybe Cummins or Starc? A completely flawed concept these days and the preserve only a few national players who play all forms can reach. Smith an outsider.
3. Bushfire Appeal Game. A shame Warnie wasn't playing. No one had a spare plane, but there is great danger in these for world stars (Payne Stewart, Kobe Bryant...John Denver, Richie Valens!). Love the banter he brings... and his talent is missed. Some blokes never lose it. The stars of the show? Walsh can still move it. Akram looked strong too. Hayden was looking like he's been in the cookbook too much. Ponting still has it! Lara could still play for the Windies too. He hits the ball so sweetly.
4. Australian U/19 Cricket Team. Sixth place. Can't believe how low this is really. We are not dominating as we once did. India should hold every trophy and every place on the rostrum in world cricket. Their population says this is so. Good to see Bangladesh in the final. India to win however.
5. Rugby Union. How long does Raelene Castle have left? The TV rights is potentially a complete disaster for the game all the way down to park rugby. It is not her fault alone, but they have been uninspiring with the game in their control. The product is on the nose and will return to ABC on Saturday afternoons I suspect.
6. Waratahs. The crowd on Saturday was outrageously low. Rugby is on its knees. Back to the future. 32-12 loss...spoon time!?
7. Sydney Kings. First team to lead the NBL from start to finish. Impressive season...semis will be tough however!
8. NRL Integrity Commission. Busy times in summer for the commission. Josh Reynolds' case sounds intriguing. Curtis Scott, Siva, May, de Belin...complexity and all a shocking look for the game. Yet David Fifita and big Nelson from the Storm - squeaky clean those blokes!? That is an entirely inconsistent joke.
9. Jason Day. Could finally break his two year duck in Pebble Beach...!
10. Horse racing. Hanseatic, Colette, Microphone, Alabama Express and Sylvia's mother were stunning at Caulfield on Saturday. Really like this Master Jamie and Ambidazzle too. Mark them down.
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Wrap - Cricket Chokers, Happy Klopper and a Marriage Test
1. BBL. A week in cricket is a long time. Suddenly The Chunder look like world beaters. Two great wins on the road v the Hobart Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers. Not sure if playing regularly actually maintains an advantage. They will need to aim up against Stoinis and Maxwell however. They seem to be very close to disaster with their batting line up. Not sure how Chris Green gets on the field as 12th man at key times either (?) He can field well, so why not.
2. Cricket Choke. It has been a long time since we have seen a choke on the cricket field. I am channeling Chris Matthews in a famous Test when he couldn't hit the square and Glenn Trimble who bowled mile high full tosses and half trackers in a forgettable ODI. Check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgXJ-OLIt-E
Chris Tremain added to this list in the Thunder's game v the Strikers. How Doggett gets a start in any game I don't know. Jono Cook is a talent. He could play at the highest level. Hales is a gun.
The Melbourne Stars go in as favourites, but likely to fall over at a key time if their form is true. Sydney Sixers have been an awesome franchise. Talk of getting Starc back for the final would be awesome. Cricket Australia need to fix this and place primacy on our BBL - not the IPL.
3. Australian Open Tennis. Once again the might of Djokovic is on display. Theim is rising fast, but when it comes to domination at the Australian Open, Djokovic is like Nadal at the French Open. Another Grand Slam win takes him to 17 Grand Slams, three behind Federer who will do wel lto add to his tally. Nadal has a bit more in the tank yet at 19 Grand Slams, but Djokovic could knock them all over.
4. Sofia Kenin. A relative no name on the women's tennis circuit, but a prized Grand Slam in her keeping now. Ash Barty must be kicking herself, despite the baby and the brave face. She has sacrificed another Grand Slam there. Barty is refreshing and positive, but sometimes you wonder whether she actually really enjoys it all. She left once before to play in the women's BBL. You get the feeling she will walk away cold again one day. Number 1 in the world is an impressive memory regardless.
5. Sevens and Nines, Half Courts and Super This and That. Are people that desperate for extra manufactured sport? Or is it the broadcasters? Some of this is ridiculous. Fancy the Roosters even contemplating having a busted AFL star from yesteryear in their line up? Todd Carney was touted too? Maybe the bushfire fundraiser mentality is the new norm. Someone though could get seriously hurt.
6. A League. Sydney FC should call in the engraver.
7. Liverpool FC. Double up with this trophy at 20+ points ahead in February. Happy Klopper indeed!
8. Horse Racing. Really liked the run of Away Game, Prague and Standout on the weekend at Randwick. Ones to note.
9. Rugby Union. At the bottom of the list for a reason. The sport is taking a back seat to basketball these days. After a predictable loss to the Crusaders, here's hoping their season is not as long as the surname of the new lad, young Nawaqanitawase!
10. Sydney Grade Cricket. What about Rob Aitken for North Sydney Cricket? He has played 472 games since 1992!!! He moves past the great Ken Hall, who took the record from the great Bob Aitken from Parramatta (369 games). Grant Lambert and Rob Aitken are the only two players to ever score 11,000 first grade runs - including 8 centuries and 58 fifties - and take 600 wickets. That could test a marriage!
11. Superbowl. Kansas City Chiefs v San Francisco 49ers. A great bounce back by the 49ers after years in the wilderness. However I cannot see Patrick Mahomes losing this one. Kansas City...Witchita...Witchita..boom!
2. Cricket Choke. It has been a long time since we have seen a choke on the cricket field. I am channeling Chris Matthews in a famous Test when he couldn't hit the square and Glenn Trimble who bowled mile high full tosses and half trackers in a forgettable ODI. Check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgXJ-OLIt-E
Chris Tremain added to this list in the Thunder's game v the Strikers. How Doggett gets a start in any game I don't know. Jono Cook is a talent. He could play at the highest level. Hales is a gun.
The Melbourne Stars go in as favourites, but likely to fall over at a key time if their form is true. Sydney Sixers have been an awesome franchise. Talk of getting Starc back for the final would be awesome. Cricket Australia need to fix this and place primacy on our BBL - not the IPL.
3. Australian Open Tennis. Once again the might of Djokovic is on display. Theim is rising fast, but when it comes to domination at the Australian Open, Djokovic is like Nadal at the French Open. Another Grand Slam win takes him to 17 Grand Slams, three behind Federer who will do wel lto add to his tally. Nadal has a bit more in the tank yet at 19 Grand Slams, but Djokovic could knock them all over.
4. Sofia Kenin. A relative no name on the women's tennis circuit, but a prized Grand Slam in her keeping now. Ash Barty must be kicking herself, despite the baby and the brave face. She has sacrificed another Grand Slam there. Barty is refreshing and positive, but sometimes you wonder whether she actually really enjoys it all. She left once before to play in the women's BBL. You get the feeling she will walk away cold again one day. Number 1 in the world is an impressive memory regardless.
5. Sevens and Nines, Half Courts and Super This and That. Are people that desperate for extra manufactured sport? Or is it the broadcasters? Some of this is ridiculous. Fancy the Roosters even contemplating having a busted AFL star from yesteryear in their line up? Todd Carney was touted too? Maybe the bushfire fundraiser mentality is the new norm. Someone though could get seriously hurt.
6. A League. Sydney FC should call in the engraver.
7. Liverpool FC. Double up with this trophy at 20+ points ahead in February. Happy Klopper indeed!
8. Horse Racing. Really liked the run of Away Game, Prague and Standout on the weekend at Randwick. Ones to note.
9. Rugby Union. At the bottom of the list for a reason. The sport is taking a back seat to basketball these days. After a predictable loss to the Crusaders, here's hoping their season is not as long as the surname of the new lad, young Nawaqanitawase!
10. Sydney Grade Cricket. What about Rob Aitken for North Sydney Cricket? He has played 472 games since 1992!!! He moves past the great Ken Hall, who took the record from the great Bob Aitken from Parramatta (369 games). Grant Lambert and Rob Aitken are the only two players to ever score 11,000 first grade runs - including 8 centuries and 58 fifties - and take 600 wickets. That could test a marriage!
11. Superbowl. Kansas City Chiefs v San Francisco 49ers. A great bounce back by the 49ers after years in the wilderness. However I cannot see Patrick Mahomes losing this one. Kansas City...Witchita...Witchita..boom!
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